When it came time for me to get my own camping gear, it took a lot of research. Here’s a list of camping gear I own and love! The pros and cons to each and the gear I’m still looking to buy.

Before you pull buy any gear, always look for a discount! You can become a lifetime member with REI for a one time fee of $20 and then for certain purchases you’ll get credit back to spend at the store. (My mom got a dividend of like $600 one year! She’s a spender. My dividend is more like $60 a year and it’s still awesome.) It’s fun to dream about what to spend the store credit on. Last year Tom got hiking boots and this year we put it towards an Osprey day pack.

Summer of 2016 was all about camping for Tom and myself. After finding a smoking deal on an incredible tent, we pulled the trigger and started a new hobby together. First adventure on the list was camping with wild bison!

The first night we camped by Mount Rushmore and it was freezing! My mother had just bought me a new sleeping pad which I just assumed it was the right size. Well it wasn’t. It was kid sized. So Tom and I tried to share his mat. We huddled together and somehow got a little bit of sleep. We woke up really early and just drove around with the heat blasting. Aside: Check your shit people! And the weather. I’m a Moron.